Hoosier State Hoops: Purdue Caps Exciting Tournament Run

The Purdue Boilermakers certainly exceeded my projections at the beginning of the year as they finished the season in the Elite Eight and left everything on the court in their loss to Virginia, 80-75, in what was one epic game.  

Purdue should definitely keep their heads up as they delivered a captivating NCAA tournament run. The heart of this team was shown throughout the season as they were able to land a tie for the Big Ten Championship alongside Michigan State. Finishing 26-10 is about as good as you can get, especially when finishing 15-0 at home.

The play of Carsen Edwards for the Boilermakers left me and should leave Purdue fans in awe. No one has had an NCAA tournament like Edwards from beyond the arc. He finished with the record for 3-pointers in a single NCAA tournament, was the first player to have multiple 40 point games since 1990, and was the fourth player to have ten three pointers in an NCAA Tournament game. His mentality was to dominate and he certainly did that. He’s only a junior and will now assess if he is ready for the NBA or if he wants to go for a title run once again.

Ryan Cline certainly had a solid, long career in West Lafayette. Cline was able to put together a great stretch in the NCAA tournament, the highlight being his shooting against Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen. He shot 10-13 from the field, making seven of ten shots from 3-point range. Cline will go out of Purdue not owing anyone anything as he continued to improve each year.

This season has to put Purdue head coach Matt Painter in the National Coach of the Year conversation. It has been remarkable to see what Purdue was supposed to be and how they actually performed. It definitely was a “glow up” for the ages. Painter has taken Purdue to the Sweet Sixteen the last three years and this year they took a huge step to be in the Elite Eight. Overall, this continued success for Purdue, year in and out, should help their case as being one of the best programs in the country.

The Boilermakers productive season should also lead to an exciting season next year, despite the losses of Cline and fellow senior Grady Eifert. Edwards could go pro and the NBA draft could be in his future. However, let’s not forget about the fact that this team will still be good anyway. Purdue has a nice recruiting class, led by Brandon Newman, that will look to fill the roles the seniors left.

Nevertheless, I would like to note that, I can’t help to notice that Purdue has something special and I would suggest to appreciate it while you have the chance.